Laimas pulkstenis | |
56°57′02″N24°06′43″E / 56.95051°N 24.11203°E | |
Location | The street Brīvības bulvāris |
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Completion date | 1924 |
The Laima Clock (Latvian : Laimas pulkstenis) is a landmark in central Riga, Latvia. Its location between the Old Town and the Centre commercial district has made it a landmark of the city. [1]
The clock was completed in 1924 and initially was called the Big Clock (Lielais pulkstenis), but began to carry the name of the Laima confectionery company in 1936. [2] During the Latvia SSR it was used as a political information stand. [1] In 1999 the Laima Clock was fully reconstructed and its original design restored. [1] [2] On December 12, 2012, at 12:00 the clock rang for the first time since its installation. [3]
Beginning from November 27, 2017, the clock was reconstructed again. The new style clock designed by Arvis Sproģis was unveiled on December 29, 2017. The reconstruction cost a total of 106,000 euros and was covered by Orkla Group as a gift for 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic. [2]
In 2012, construction of another Laima-branded clock was completed in Sigulda. [4]
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population; 37.7% of the population speak Russian as their native tongue.
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